Clothing manufacturers have been challenged in meeting the often competing demands of designing a fashionable article of clothing and providing one that adequately performs under desired conditions. For example, with active wear, the article of clothing must provide adequate support and moisture management while being pleasing to the eye and comfortable to wear.
One particular article of active wear that has suffered in this regard is sports bras. Moisture perspiration tends to accumulate in an area beneath and/or between the breasts, resulting in an uncomfortable feeling, and in severe cases resulting in odors, rashes, chafing, bacteria and fungus growth and infections. Clearly, as with any article of active wear, moisture management for sports bras is an important consideration.
Support is also an important consideration. Sports bras with good moisture management characteristics tend to be more comfortable to wear, but they lack adequate support for the user during, for example, physical exercise. Bras with support structures such as relatively stiff fabrics and/or construction work well to provide the necessary support, but they may impede the desired moisture management and may be uncomfortable to wear. Additionally, bras that seemingly strike a balance between support, moisture management and comfort are not as stylish as some women would prefer.